Alkaline detergents are used extensively to clean articles in both consumer and industrial dish machines. Alkaline detergents are extensively used because of their ability to remove and emulsify fatty, oily, hydrophobic soils. However, alkaline detergents have the disadvantage of requiring a rinse aid to prevent the formation of films on glass and other substrate surfaces contacted by the alkaline detergent. Filming is caused in part by using alkaline detergents in combination with certain water types (including hard water), and water temperatures. A solution to the generation of hard water films has been to employ rinse aids to remove such films. However, the need for rinse aids increases the cost associated with alkaline detergents for both the formulation of the cleaning compositions as well as the additional costs associated with heated water for rinsing steps.
Additionally, rinse aids are used in a rinse cycle following the wash cycle to enhance drying time, as well as reduce any cleaning imperfections (including the removal of films). Additional benefits and methods of using rinse aids are described in U.S. Pat. No. RE 38,262, which is herein incorporated by reference in its entirety. The addition of rinse aids to a ware wash rinse cycle requires use of GRAS (generally recognized as safe) ingredients as well as wall space for the installation of both a detergent dispenser and a rinse aid dispenser.
There is a need for alternative, effective cleaning compositions that provide the desired cleaning results and at the same time reduce the number of components required for cleaning and rinsing.
Accordingly, it is an objective of the claimed invention to develop an alkaline detergent composition that provides good cleaning performance and good rinseability in a potable water rinse without the use of an added rinse aid in the rinse cycle.
A further object of the invention is to provide a carbonate-based alkaline detergent employing a combination of at least two surfactants and a polycarboxylic acid polymer, to provide good cleaning performance and rinseability without the use of a rinse aid in the cleaning composition.
A further object of the invention is to provide a carbonate-based alkaline detergent employing a combination of surfactants, and optionally polymers, providing at least substantially similar cleaning and rinsing efficacy as a conventional combination of a detergent composition and separate rinse aid composition.
Other objects, advantages and features of the present invention will become apparent from the following specification taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings.